General Counsel Services
Lustig & Wickert provides general counsel services to small to medium size businesses in Illinois. Most of our clients can’t afford to hire a full-time in-house lawyer, so we give them the edge of having a business focused law firm on-call without the expense of having a full-time business attorney on staff.
Corporations | Limited Liability Companies
We form new corporations and limited liability companies for our clients on a same day basis at no extra charge. This means that your new business can be up and running in 24 hours with all the necessary formalities. You will be able to open a bank account, hire personnel, sign contracts and conduct business immediately.
Common Business Legal Needs
Lustig & Wickert assists its clients with the legal needs common to most businesses, such as reviewing leases, employment agreements, non-compete agreements, non-disclosure agreements, independent contractor’s agreements and vendor contracts. We routinely advise our clients on employment matters including hiring and termination and help them navigate the minefield of laws and regulations regarding independent contractors, trade secrets, trademarks and intellectual property rights. When the time comes to terminate an employee, we can recommend severance or termination agreements and advise our clients through the myriad laws impacting the employment relationship. We also help our clients structure new business relationships and create the agreements that make them work. We can answer your legal questions and give you solid business advice you can rely on. Whatever your business legal needs, trust Lustig & Wickert to handle them properly.
Business Purchases and Sales
We are highly skilled at handling the purchase and sale of business interests, including stock purchases, asset purchases, tax-deferred exchanges, and mergers. We are experienced at everything from negotiation and contracting, to closing. We work closely with our client’s tax advisors to structure proposed transactions in tax advantaged ways. We review critical documents such as security filings, liens, real estate leases, loan documents, employment agreements, non-competition agreements, vendor contracts, insurance policies, patents, trademarks, copyrights, and help develop transactional strategies. Once a contract has been signed and the deal formalized, we work closely with our clients and their accountants to close the transaction and transfer the business interest.
Shareholder Agreements
Lustig & Wickert can recommend shareholder agreements and operating agreements which impose rights, obligations and restrictions upon the individual shareholders, partners, and owners of a businesses. These types of agreements frequently determine the outcome in the event of death, disability, divorce, termination of employment, purchase or sale of an interest in the business, deadlock and failure to agree.
Corporate Compliance
No matter what industry your business is in, corporate compliance affects your business regularly. From filing required reports with governmental agencies to conducting annual meetings of the shareholders of a corporation or the members of a limited liability company, corporate compliance is an essential part of your business. Corporate compliance is a name we give the process of making sure your company’s management and employees follow the laws, regulations, standards, and ethical practices that apply to your business. Effective corporate compliance will cover both internal policies and rules and federal and state laws. Enforcing compliance in corporate policy will help your company prevent and detect violations of rules and laws. This can save your business from fines and lawsuits and protect the owners and operators from personal liability. Corporate compliance also lays out expectations for company management and employee behavior, helps your staff stay focused on your company’s broader goals, and helps operations run smoothly. Ask us how we can assist your business with its corporate compliance obligations.
Franchises
If you are an existing franchisor or franchisee, or are considering becoming one of them, we can help. Unlike many law firms, we take a balanced approach by representing both franchisees and franchisors (not in the same system of course). By knowing both sides, we are better able to help our clients navigate difficult issues. We have a deep understanding of the relationship dynamics that underpin all franchise systems. Even the best franchises have disputes and issues with their franchisor. We know franchising and we can help.